RESTAURANT REPORT: Sushi not kept cold enough

Foods like sushi and salad not being kept cold enough. Other foods like nacho cheese not kept hot enough. Food temperatures were a problem for a couple of restaurants in Thursday night's Restaurant Report.

The health department says food temperatures are the most critical violation to watch for because when food sits at the wrong temperature, it starts growing bacteria that can make you sick. When food, like sushi, is not going to be cooked, it's even more important to keep it at the right temperature.

Teriyaki and Sushi at Waterford at 13544 Waterford Place in Midlothian had three priority, seven priority foundation, and three core violations on its last inspection. The report says multiple sushi products and the salad mix were not being kept cold enough.

When the inspector returned two days later, the restaurant still had one priority foundation and two core violations, including a leaking sink. We spoke with the manager by phone, who said everything has now been fixed.

In Eastern Henrico, Wendy's at 2200 East Laburnum Avenue had three priority violations, two priority foundation and four core violations. The inspector noted an employee handled raw meat then went to get ice without washing their hands, nacho and jalapeno cheese weren't kept hot enough, and tomatoes, salads, burgers and raw bacon weren't kept cold enough.

Two violations were corrected during the inspection. When the inspector returned two weeks later, everything was corrected for a perfect score and the restaurant's annual permit was renewed.

No such problems at Marco's Pizza at 200 Charter Colony Parkway in Midlothian -- we gave it our Hall of Fame Award for acing three health inspections in a row.